Sewing-machine trimmer.



Patented Aug. I, |899.

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UNrrnD STATES PATENT OFFICE;

CHARLES Il. FOSTER, ELIZABETH,` NEI/V JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE SINGER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF NEW JERSEY.

SEWING-MACHINE TRIIVIMER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 630,209, dated August 1, 1899.

Application filed January 12, 1898. Serial No..666,440. (No model.) l

To all whom t may concern-f Be it known that I, CHARLES H. FOSTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elizan beth, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sewing-Machine Trimmers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention has for its object to provide an improved sewing-machine trimming device by means of which the projecting edge of the lower layer of two superpcsed pieces of material may be trimmed off parallel with the seam close to the edge of the upper layer and simultaneously with the sewing operation, the trimming-knife being so arranged and operated that it will make undercutting strokes, so that the under side of the lower layer or piece of material of the finished work will be slightly within the edge of the upper layer thereof. The improved trimming device is more particularly intended for use in shoework, as in trimming off the projecting edges of the linings of thelacing-fiies or shoetops, in which the outer or upper layers have their edges turned in next to the linings and pasted down, forming finished edges, beyond which the edges of the linings project as the parts are superposed for sewing, so that the edges of the trimmed-off linings are somewhat raw or unfinished. Itis desirable that these raw or unfinished edges in the .work should be slightly within or under the turnedin finished edges, soas to be vconcealed .by the latter, and` this desideratum is effected in the present invention by an undercutting trimming-knife.

In carrying the invention into effect the reciprocating trimming blade or knife is arranged and reciprocated in an inclined position relative to a vertical plane and sidewise relative to the seam, said knife being preferably provided with a bent steadying or guiding finger extending below the cutting edge of the knife and enteringa hole in the throatplate. The knife, which is preferably a thin elastic steel blade, is preferably attached to a pivoted or tilting block carried by a stock or small bracket secured to the lower end of the trimmer-bar insuch a manner that the ter on line g/g/ of Fig. 3.

scribe a curved path as it travels up and down, so that the lower face of the layer of material being trimmed will be cut farther in under the finished edge of the upper layer than would be possible if the cutting edge of the knife reciprocated in a right-line path inclined relative to the path of the needle. Instead, however, of attaching the knife to a tilting or rocking block the cutting edge of the knife may be caused to travelina curved path simply by the engagement of the projecting bent finger on the knife rwith the throat-plate, the thin steel knife-blade having sufficient elasticity so that it will spring enough to effect this result. The Work is guided to the needle and trimming-knife by a guide or gage, against the guiding-face of which the finished edge of the upper layer of material is held by the attendant, so that the line of stitching and line of trimming will always have a certain relationV to the said finished edge of the upper layer of material.

In the drawings, Figure lis a front end elevation of the upper part of a sewing-machine with the improved trimmer applied thereto7 .the face-plate being removed; and Fig. 2 is a sectional side view of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the throat-plate and one form of guide, and Fig. 4 a sectional view of the lat- 4 Fig. 5 is a cross-section of the throat-plate o n line w of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a detail side View of the knife and its carrier. Fig. 7 isa broken-out plan View of the form of guide preferably employed. Fig. 8 is a detail view illustrating a slight modification, and Fig. 9 isa detail 'sectional View illustrative of the work.

A denotes the head or front end portion of the bracket-arm of a sewing-machine, B the driving-shaft,and C the needle-bar,connected to a crank at the front end of said rshaft by a pitman c.

Y D is the trim merbar,connected by a springpressed pin d to an arm d of ashort rocksha-ft cl2, having a second arm d3, forked to embrace an operating-eccentric bon the shaft B, this trimmer-bar-operating mechanism being of Well-known construction.

E is the knife-carrier, secured to the lower end of the trimmer-bar D, and e is the knife,

which is preferably connected with said carrier by a block e2, pivotally attached to said carrier by a pin e3. The knife e is preferably provided with a bent depending finger e4, which enters a hole f in the throat-plate f', the said knife being attached to the pivoted block e2 by screws e5 and a clamping-plate e6. The rear face of the carrier E, with which the block e2 is in contact, is of different form from the contiguous face of said block, so that the lattermay have a limited rocking movement on the said face, a spring e7 normally holding said block in the position shown in Figs. 2 and 6, but said spring yielding under pressure to permit the block to rock.

The right or rear face of the bent finger c4 on the knife normally presses against the top of the right or rear wall of the slotfn the throat-plate, (the front or left wall of said slot being inclined or beveled, as shown in Fig. 5,) so that as the knife descends the pressure of .said finger against the throat-plate will rock the block e2 slightly on its pivot-pin, compressing the spring e7, and thus cause the cutting edge of the knife to describe a curved path as it descends and which if continued far enough down would intersect the plane of the path of the needle, thus giving a more pronounced undercut than would result if the edge of the knife traveled simply in a right line inclined path. This right or rear wall of the slot f is preferably formed by y ss a spring-pressed or yielding-plate f2, which will' insure a proper cutting action, but which will yield under sufiicignt pressure, and thus avoid breakage. The inclined elastic knifeblade, with its bent finger, would spring enough to effect this result were it directly attached to the carrier E, as shown in Fig. 8; but it is better to connect the knife with the carrier through the pivoted block, as there is less' friction and less danger of breaking the knife. v

The Work-guide is formed at the forward end of a shank G, which is preferably attached to an adjustable plate g, but which may be integral with said plate, said guide comprising the overhanging lip g', which isto rest on the top of the layer of fabric, and the vertical guiding face or wall g2, against which the edge of the said upper layer will rest to properly guide the work to the needle and trimming-knife. Said guide also preferably comprises the slender finger g3, close'to the outer or right face of which the needle descends and close to the inner face of which the cutting edge of the knife descends. The plate gis adjustably secured by a screw g7 to a base-plate g4, which is fixed to the workplate of the machine, as by screws g8, the lateral position of the plate g and of the guide connected therewith determining the distance of the stitches from the edge of the work. Theguide is supported above the throat-plate f' far enough to permit the edge of the lower layer of material which is to be trimmed off to pass' beneath it, said guide being vertically adjustable to accommodate different thicknesses of material of either or both layers by means of the screw h2 impinging against the plate g4, the plate g springing enough to permit of this adjustment.

To t row the trimmer-bar out of action, it

is only necessary to withdraw the spring-4 pressed locking-pin d from its engaging notch d4 in the trimmer-bar D, when the spring d5 will lift the said bar so that the knife will be out of the Way of the work. At such times it is frequently desirable that the work-guide should' also be removed, so that the attendant can direct the work to the needle independently of said guide. To this end the guidecarrying plate gis preferably connected with the base-plate g4 by a spring-pressed lockingslide g5, so that whensaid locking-slide is withdrawn from its engaging notch in said plate g the latter will be thrown to the right out of the Way by a retracting-spring gG provided for this purpose.

v As I believe that I am the first to construct a sewing-machine trimming device in which a reciprocating trimming-knife is inclined relative to a vertical plane and sidewise to the seam or to the direction of the feed of the work and is reciprocated in the direction of its length in this position, so as to be adapted to trim off with undercutting strokes the projecting edge of the lower layer of two superposed pieces of material simultaneously with the sewing operation and so as to leave the cut edge of the lower layer h of the Work slightly within the uncut edge h of the upper layer of the work, I do not wish to be understood as limiting my invention to the details herein shown and described, as these may be varied widely without departing from the essence of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Pattent- 1 l. In a sewing-machine, the combination with a vertically-reciprocating trimmer-bar, of a pivoted block connected therewith,a knife attached to said block and which is inclined relative to a vertical plane, and means for causing said block to rock or tilt as the said bar is reciprocated, thereby giving an undercutting action to the edge of the said inclined knife, and a cooperating throat-plate.

2. In a sewing-machine, the combination with a trimming-knife which is inclined rela- .tive to a vertical plane and sidewise of the seam, a throat-plate coperating with said knife, and means for reciprocating said knife in the direction of its length to undercut the lower of two superposed pieces of material, of a guide supported above the work-plate so as to guide the edge of the upper layer of two superposed pieces of material, while permitting the projecting edge of the lower layer to pass beneath it, said guide having a vertical guiding-wall and, at its eXtreme end, an over- IOO With a throat-plate and a reciprocating trimming-knife which is inclined relative to a vertical plane and sideWise to the seam, of means for reciprocating said knife in the direction of its length, and guiding means for causing the cutting edge of said knife to travel in a curved path as it is reciprocated.

In testimony whereof I afx my signature in presence of two Witnesses. l

CHARLES H. FOSTER. Witnesses HENRY J. MILLER, HAROLD W. BROWN. 

